Gas outlet control device for a gas lighter

ABSTRACT

A gas lighter comprising a flue or gas escape channel for carrying to the outside of the lighter the gas liberated by a gas outlet control device. At least the downstream portion of the gas escape channel is mounted so that it can be oscillated between two end positions, one for operation of the lighter and the other for resting position thereof. The motion of the movable portion of said channel to the position for operation opens a normally closed aperture in the lighter, opposite the outlet of said channel, when the latter is in the position for operation.

United States Patent Malamoud Sept. 18, 1973 a GAS OUTLET CONTROL DEVICE FOR A GAS LIGHTER Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. [75] Inventor: Jean Gaston Malamoud, Annecy, Ammey E"c waters et France [73] Assignee: S. T. Dupont, Paris, France [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 180,759 A gas lighter comprising a flue or gas escape channel for carrying to the outside of the lighter the gas liberated by a gas outlet control device. At least the down- [301 Fore'gn P' Pnomy Dam stream portion of the gas escape channel is mounted so Sept. 15, France can be oscillated between two end positions one for operation of the lighter and the other for resting po- U-S. CL t t sition thereof The motion of the movable portion of [5 CL". aid channel to the positign for operation opens 3 nor. [58] held of Search 431/130, 131, 150, n closed aperture in the lighter, opposite the ouflet 344 of said channel, when the latter is in the position for operation. [56] References Cited 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEN 8 I975 F/G.2 ,10 e 72 1.9 23 2.5 4.

GAS OUTLET CONTROL DEVICE FOR A GAS LIGHTER The present invention relates to a gas lighter whose burner is pivotal mounted in such a way as to project from the lighter at the instant of use.

By means of the new arrangement a lighter of reduced thickness is obtainable,- with a properly emitted flame and without any aperture apparent when the lighter is in raised position, the absence of aperture allowing both protection of the inside, particularly of the mechanism, and preservation of an outwardly attractive appearance.

According to the invention, the gas exhaust flue is so mounted that at least the downstream portion of such flue can oscillate between two end positions, one in operation and the other at rest, the passage of themoving portion of the said flue, from the position of rest to the position of operation, provides an aperture for access to and located opposite the gas exit when said movable portion is in the working position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the movable portion of the gas escape flue oscillates around a spindle parallel to the spindle of the gas exit control device.

According to still another characteristic of the invention the gas escape flue carries a flap able to seal off the aperture located opposite the gas outlet, which is in readiness for working.

Other features of theinvention will appear through the following description of one embodiment given by way of example and nonlimitatively.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lighter according to the invention, with its cap raised.

FIG. 2 is a section through IIlI of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section through III-III of FIG. 1'.

FIG. 4 is a section through IV-IV of FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 through 4, the case 1 of a lighter is provided with an aperture 2 normally closed by a flap 3 integral with a burner 4.

This burner comprises a portion 5 forming a spindle and mounted in a housing provided in the body 6. The burner has, at one end thereof, a nozzle 7 and at the other end a ferrule 8 connected to the nozzle 7'through a gas escape channel or flue 9 inside the burner 4.

A flexible tube 10 isattached firstlyto theferrule 8 and secondly toa second ferrule 11 arranged on a v gas check 12 joined to the'lighter reservoir belowthe broken line in FIG. 2 and not forming part of the. present invention.

To keep the spindle 5 ofburner4inside its housing, a cylinder 13 arranged in a seating in the body 6 engages with a notch provided in the spindle 5.

The control device for gas check 12 comprises a lever 14 rocking on the bolsters of two studs 15. One end of lever 14 is engaged between ferrule 11 and gas check 12 and the other end'is located beneath a part 16 ending in inclined plane 18 and sliding on'a rod 17 around which a spring 30 is held in constraint.

Facing that inclined plane, the bottom portion of burner 4 comprises a guide pin 19 in which a seating is provided for a ball 20.

At the other end, the bottomof the burner 4 comprises a seating 21 to take a dog22 mounted on a small arm 23 said arm being jointed to in an inner end of a carrier plate 24' where it sustains a rotary mounted roller 25. 1

The carrier plate 24 is itself mounted to rotate on a spindle 26 integral with a second carrier plate 27 and squared at its end 28 to take a sparking wheel (not shown) acting on a pyrophoric stone (also not shown). The carrier plate, as best shown by FIGS. 1 and 2, has an outer end, providing a peripheral portion or thumb wheel portion closely conforming to the surface of the lighter.

The operation is as follows:

To put the lighter in readiness for action, the carrier plate 24 is made to turn in the direction of arrow 29 see FIG. 1 l.

With this movement, the roller 25. moves up against burner 4 and makes it turn together with the flap 3 inte gralwith the burner around the spindle 5 so as to uncover the aperture 2 {see position drawn in broken line in FIG. 1 l.

At the same time, the rear portion of the burner moves as shown by arrow 31 {see FIG. 3}, making the ball 20 of guide pin 19 move forward on inclined plane 18 of the sliding part 16. Because of its elastic mouting, this sliding part falls, under the action of the guide pin 19 and ball 20 and in this dropping. movement causes lever to pivot on the bolsters of the fixed studs 15.

The other end of the lever rises, causing the opening of the gas check 12 and allowing the gas supply through. At that instant, the ball 20 is on the nonsloping portion of the slider 16. It is therefore in a neutral position, meaning that it is no longer able to cause angular displacement of the flap 3.

The lighter can then be ignited.

To replace the lighter in its position of rest, either turn the carrier plate 24in the direction opposite from arrow 29 or just push flap 3 back by hand.

In the first case, dogv 22 of rod 23 comes up against the wall of seating 21 and takes the burner 4 and flap 3 back to the closed position. Parallel to this, the rear portion of the burner is displaced in the direction opposite to arrow 31 and the ball 20 enters the inclined plane 18 facilitating the action of spring 30 on slider 16 which climbs back and in its turn releases lever 14. The gas check 12 then closes again and the gas supply is stopped, the resting of ball 20 on the inclined plane of lever 14 guaranteeing, through spring 30, the locking of burner 4 in its closed position.

Obviously without going beyond the scope of the invention, the constructional details or theirarrangement can be alteredin order to obtain a similar result.

Thus the carrier plate 24 mounted loose on spindle 26 could be of one piece therewith or frictionlly mounted thereon and the carrier plate movement 27 would then simultaneously assuredisplacement of the burner and ignition. Carrier plate 24 could also be replaced by any other equivalent system such as tappet piece but could simply be controlled in such a way that the movement of one of them would, cause the other also to move.

There could also be two independent systems for displacement of the burner and operation of the control device, although it may be, preferred to provide their regulation.

It would also be possible to arrange the axis of rotation of the burner outside the lighter, although arranging it on the inside may be preferred as providing an outside covering unhampered by technical requirements.

In the embodiment selected, the axis of rotation of the burner is parallel to the axis of the gas outlet control and so as to make a very slim lighter, the drive of this device by rotation of the burner can thus be effected by lever moving vertically up and down. But if a fairly fat lighter is acceptable, there could be two perpendicular axes and the operation of the gas outlet control could be directly subject to the rotation of the burner.

A control device can also be mounted on the axis of rotation itself of the burner, this axle then being provided with a burner system directly controlling the opening and closure of gas.

What is claimed is:

l. A gas lighter comprising gas outlet control means for conveying gas from said lighter to the exterior of the lighter, said means having a gas outlet channel, at least the downstream end portion of said channel being movably mounted on said lighter for oscillating motion between two end positions, one for gas flow operation and the other inoperative, an aperture in said lighter, closed by a part of said channel in said inoperative position, means for opening said aperture and thereby providing access to the downstream end portion of said channel by motion of said movably mounted portion of said channel into its gas flow position, and a spindle about which said movable portion of the gas escape channel is mounted for said oscillating motion.

2. A lighter as claimed in claim 1, including means for effecting said oscillating motion in at least one direction thereof, said motion effecting means being -mounted for oscillation about an axle parallel to said spindle, said motion effecting means supporting, inside the lighter, a roller resting on a surface of said movably mounted channel portion.

3. A lighter as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means supporting said roller includes an arm, said am also being provided, inside the lighter, with an entraining dog adapted to engage within a seating within said movable gas escape channel portion, for returning said movable portion to its inoperative position.

4. A lighter as claimed in claim 3, wherein said roller is mounted on the arm for effecting a return of said downstream channel portion to its gas flow position.

5. A lighter as claimed in claim 1, including a flap on said channel, for use as a closure of said aperture when the gas escape channel is in its inoperative position.

6. A lighter as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flap is constructed and arranged in the gas flow position of the gas escape channel to provide a narrow aperture of said lighter for access to the downstream end of said channel.

7. A lighter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flap is integrally formed with the movable portion of the gas escape channel. 

1. A gas lighter comprising gas outlet control means for conveying gas from said lighter to the exterior of the lighter, said means having a gas outlet channel, at least the downstream end portion of said channel being movably mounted on said lighter for oscillating motion between two end positions, one for gas flow operation and the other inoperative, an aperture in said lighter, closed by a part of said channel in said inoperative position, means for opening said aperture and thereby providing access to the downstream end portion of said channel by motion of said movably mounted portion of said channel into its gas flow position, and a spindle about which said movable portion of the gas escape channel is mounted for said oscillating motion.
 2. A lighter as claimed in claim 1, including means for effecting said oscillating motion in at least one direction thereof, said motion effecting means being mounted for oscillation about an axle parallel to said spindle, said motion effecting means supporting, inside the lighter, a roller resting on a surface of said movably mounted channel portion.
 3. A lighter as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means supporting said roller includes an arm, said arm also being provided, inside the lighter, with an entraining dog adapted to engage within a seating within said movable gas escape channel portion, for returning said movable portion to its inoperative position.
 4. A lighter as claimed in claim 3, wherein said roller is mounted on the arm for effecting a return of said downstream channel portion to its gas flow position.
 5. A lighter as claimed in claim 1, including a flap on said channel, for use as a closure of said aperture when the gas escape channel is in its inoperative position.
 6. A lighter as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flap is constructed and arranged in the gas flow position of the gas escape channel to provide a narrow aperture of said lighter for access to the downstream end of said channel.
 7. A lighter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flap is integrally formed with the movable portion of the gas escape channel. 